Philosophy

The skill of singing is learned over time, and it is vital that the teaching of singing is undertaken with great care. In this field of study, the body is the instrument.  It cannot be replaced, and is also intrinsically connected to one’s person. Therefore a strong element of trust is necessary between student and teacher. No two students are alike, or will sound the same.  My goal in working with each one of my students is that they would find their ‘true voice,’ un-manipulated and free from tensions. It is for this reason that I practice and teach with kinesthetic tools, imagery and a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology.

Kinesthetic tools allow students to experience how something ought to feel, and reliance upon them is gradually reduced over the course of study.  The positive impact of haptic guidance is documented in the field of motor learning, and the use of these tools in the process of learning to sing also provides the foundation for a tangible practice method, helping students make the most of their personal practice time.

Imagery based teaching is vocal pedagogy’s heritage. Prior to our understanding of anatomy and physiology or exercise science excellent teachers were helping students sing beautifully.  The voice cannot be seen or touched, it can only be heard. As such it is important that students grow in the ability to create mental representations of how something feels or sounds. Using figurative and descriptive language that is not necessarily scientific can be especially helpful in this process.

The understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the voice is a gift to teacher and students alike. As my teacher Dr. Kari Ragan has said “There is variability, and there are truths.” These truths for vocal pedagogy eliminate much ambiguity and guess work, enabling teacher and student to move forward with confidence.  Utilizing all three of these knowledge bases to dynamically work through the five systems of the voice allows me to teach flexibly and find different ways to help students achieve healthy vocal function in various vocal styles.

Testimonials

"Amy is a fantastic voice teacher and fantastic for kids. Her lessons are methodical and consistent. She treats the voice as the physical musical instrument that it is; her lessons focus on awareness of what is physically happening to make sound she teaches how to strengthen and care for it. She adapts to my daughter's learning style, and is serious yet gentle. She knows how to cultivate interest by picking music my daughter enjoys working on. I highly recommend Amy!"  -Renee Chemelar

" As a newcomer to singing, I was very nervous when I went to my first voice lesson with Amy. I needn't have worried - Amy's kind, bright, and professional demeanor immediately made me feel safe. I quickly grew very impressed with the depth of her knowledge and the ease and patience with which she helped me learn about my voice and my body. In just three months, I feel I have grown incredibly in my technique as a singer and in my confidence. Amy makes voice lessons a true joy to attend in the middle of my hectic college week." -Hannah Probst

"Amy Kuefler is a joy to work with. She is encouraging and fun without sacrificing progress. I have learned more from Amy in the past year with her than I ever expected to, and I enjoy each lesson more than the last." -Haylee Hawkins

"Voice lessons with Amy Kuefler couldn't be better! We have just begun singing lessons and she is super great. I am having a good time AND she really knows what she is doing. Her technical knowledge is exactly what works for me!!" -Michelle Rupp

"I love working with Amy. She cares about finding helpful tools for the individual student as opposed to trying to mold the individual into generic practices. She helps me learn and understand more and more about my voice. I've noticed significant improvement in the reliability of my voice. She's great!"  -Payden Nissen

Teacher Bio

Amy Kuefler has been studying the voice for the past 15 years through private voice lessons, performance, and competition.   Having received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Vanguard University of Southern California, and a Masters of Music from the University of Washington she is actively continuing her own education, by participating in the Northwest Chapter of the NATS foundation’s NATS chats, periodically attending meetings held by the Voice Foundation, and being an active member of the voice studio of Dr. Kari Ragan out of Issaquah.  She is continuing to pursue performance opportunities, and deeply enjoying helping her students achieve their goals.

Frequently Asked Questions and Studio Policies

What is your typical process for working with a new student?

In the first lesson with a new student I would want to asses their goals and discuss any vocal frustrations or difficulties they may have had in the past.  I would then begin warm-up exercises so that I can hear their voice and identify strengths and weaknesses.  Based on those strengths and weaknesses I would develop a plan for that student to continue developing their strengths while strengthening their weaknesses to keep the voice in balance.  If the student has brought a song with them to the first lesson I would want to hear it and then work on it.  If not we would work together to choose an appropriate song to work on in the coming weeks.

what type of students do you work with?

I enjoy working with a variety of students, including elementary, middle and high school students, Drama majors looking to expand into Musical Theatre, Musical Theatre major, students who write their own music and perform at open mic nights, and adult students approaching singing as an auxilary hobby to enrich their lives.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AS A VOICE TEACHER?

I began teaching voice lessons in 2010 as a part of my Undergraduate Vocal Pedagogy course.  When I moved to Seattle in 2012 I began growing my private studio one student at a time.

How much do Lessons Cost?

I teach 50 minute lessons to allow for transition time in between students and charge $50 per lesson.  25 minute lessons are geared towards younger children and cost $25/lesson.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING FOR A VOICE TEACHER?

Make sure to find out what training your potential voice teacher has.  There is a lot of mis-information being perpetuated by an unregulated field of teachers. Just because someone is a gifted singer and performer does not mean they are a good teacher.

STUDIO POLICIES:

__ Payments must always be received on the day of your lesson. (Unless previously arranged).

__ Cancellation of a lesson for SICKNESS only must be received by 10:00 a.m. on the day PREVIOUS to the lesson in order to not be charged. NO MAKEUP LESSONS are given.

__ Cancelation due to traveling, rehearsals, sporting events, doctors’ appointments, and other situations must be given at least one week in advance (preferably MUCH longer) in writing VIA EMAIL. You are welcome to trade lesson times with another singer when last minute situations occur.

__ If you forget a lesson, make a scheduling mistake or fail to show up for scheduled time you forfeit that lesson.

__ Discontinuation of voice lessons within the quarter must be given IN PERSON 2 weeks prior to stop date.  Quarterly changes of availability or discontinuation of lessons excluded.

__ Missed Lessons: You are encouraged to attend another singer’s lesson to make up for a missed lesson. Additionally, Masterclasses will be scheduled once a year for makeup lesson time. You are welcome to attend if you’ve missed a lesson due to last minute cancellation for sickness.

__ You are encouraged to attend a lesson even when ʻunder the weatherʼ as alternate lesson plans can be arranged such as theory, ear training, music history etc.

__ Copies of music must be made in advance of your lesson time.

__ If you arrive in advance of your lesson, please wait outside until your assigned lesson time.

__ Please remove your shoes on entering the studio.

__ No special circumstances will be given for the above policies.

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